Project Description
WELCH PACKAGING GROUP
Welch Packaging Group
Location: Elkhart, Indiana
Architectural Design: J.A. Wagner Construction, Inc.
Project Scope: New manufacturing plant and addition
The J.A. Wagner team constructed a 166,960-square-foot building linking two of Welch Packaging’s manufacturing facilities, creating 431,968 square feet of continuous production space. This new building houses Welch’s 375-foot-long corrugating machine, one of the largest in North America. It also features 40,000 square feet of rolled paper storage, numerous machine pits and foundations, 22 loading docks, and an elevated control room to operate the corrugating machine.
Our team also completed a 23,400-square-foot expansion to one of Welch’s existing buildings, as well as paved 117,250 square feet to serve as storage for the company’s 93 tractor trailers. Managing both the timeline and equipment deliveries for this project proved challenging. Corrugating machine parts began arriving while structural steel was being erected and needed to be stored until installation. Additionally, the campus’ main electrical source was redirected underneath a parking lot and the building to power the corrugating machine.
“Working with the J.A. Wagner team during this process was an outstanding experience for us. Their professionalism, which we did challenge at times, was nothing but top notch. Andrew Harman, our project manager, spent many nights working on the specifics of this project. They started clearing land in May and we were running equipment on November 15th, less than 7 months later, which is nothing but remarkable. We had an amazing superintendent, Rick McCollough, who worked very closely with local contractors to push deadlines and keep the project moving forward. Without his countless hours, I’m not sure we could have started as soon as we did. I would have not wanted any other team on our project. These guys are for real.”
